I hope by now you have learned to love the person that you are.

Dear future me,

Whether it be five minutes from now or five years, I really hope that you are happy with the person you see in the mirror. I hope that you are proud of everything you have accomplished. I hope that you have finally found someone that is also proud of who you have become. I hope you wake up every morning with a smile on your face.

I hope that you have stopped trying to be perfect. I hope you have realized that nothing will ever be perfect no matter how hard you try, because nothing is perfect. I hope you have surrounded yourself with the "perfect" friend group. I hope you begin to understand that you are influenced most by the people around you, and I hope you use that to your advantage. I also hope that you have been networking and saving in order to have a comfortable start to real adulthood.

I hope you have found someone who loves you. I hope you have found the one who knows your favorite color. I hope you have found someone who looks at you the way you look at your favorite food. I hope you have found someone who accepts you for you and someone you can be yourself around. I hope you have found someone who makes you feel safe and someone who relaxes you. I hope you have found someone who understands that sometimes you need to be alone and someone who can keep up with you in every way. I hope you have found someone who you will spend that rest of your life with.

I hope that at the end of each day you can look at your husband and be content with life. I hope that you have someone to tell all of your stories too. I hope you have a friend who you have a million inside jokes with. I hope that you have accomplished all of your past goals. I hope you have everything that you have been wanting since before you can remember. I hope that you have taken the lessons you have learned in and out of school and applied them to your everyday routine.

I hope that you realize how blessed you are and I pray that you are stronger in your faith.

Dear future me,

I wish that life is everything you want it to be right now. I hope you don't get too comfortable with the life you have now that you stop striving to reach goals and better yourself. Every day is another opportunity to make yourself a better person. I hope that you are proud of yourself -- past, present, and future. Strive for greatness and never stop striving for greatness.